CWA Young Crime Writers' Competition 2011
Winner: Claudia Hyde
Left-to right: Diane Janes, Claudia Hyde and Meg Gardiner
The CWA Young Crime Writer 2011 has been named. The winner is 16 year old Claudia Hyde, whose story A Cushion Out of Place had been entered via Hammersmith Library in London. She discovered that she had won during a Crime Tea, hosted by authors Meg Gardiner and Diane Janes at the National Portrait Gallery restaurant, which enjoys wonderful views across central London.
The final stage of the competition was judged by outgoing CWA Chairman Tom Harper and award winning author Martin Edwards, who had a tough job choosing a winner. National Competition Coordinator Diane Janes said: “The standard this year was very high, with some fine writing making the shortlist. All the entrants who got this far should feel very proud - and of course Claudia most of all.”
Claudia’s prizes include a trip to Crimefest 2012* for herself and a companion, a unique engraved pen and a selection of signed novels from various members of the CWA. You can read her prize-winning entry A Cushion Out of Place here.
Current CWA Chair Peter James said: “Yet again this country’s young writers have illustrated that the future of the genre is in safe hands.”
The regional winners were:
A Cordial Encounter by Charlotte Gordon age 15 from Thurso
The Photograph by George Neame age 15 from Bognor Regis
Reasons by Caroline Angus age 14 from Carlisle
A Girl I Once Knew by Beth Tucker age 15 from Newton Abbot
Reaction by Laura Aldworth-Beswick age 16 from Manchester
She’s a Rebel, She’s a Saint by Laura Waters age 14 from the Isle of Man
Severing Ties by Jessica Cooper age 17 from Nantwich
The End by Lily Scanlan age 17 from Invergordon
The Witness by Emily Lumbard age 11 from Bristol
Button by Aileigh MacGregor age 13 from Buckie
Anarchy by Connor Sterling age 13 from Darlington
A Dreamer’s Nightmare by Rachael Wallis age 17 from Frome
*The competition is sponsored by CRIMEFEST, Britain’s international crime fiction convention. For more information visit www.crimefest.com.